From anxiety to applause: Expert secrets to public speaking success

Public speaking remains one of the most common fears, yet for the world's most sought-after speakers, delivering compelling presentations is second nature.

JLA Speakers, the London-based corporate speaking agency, has distilled the professional techniques used by their roster of world-class speakers into six practical steps that anyone can follow.

Drawing from insights gathered through years of working with high-profile speakers including Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon, former BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, Dragons' Den investor Deborah Meaden, former Foreign Secretary William Hague, and Tony Blair's former chief speechwriter Philip Collins, JLA has identified the key practices that separate confident speakers from anxious presenters.

Expert Insights from JLA's Speaker Roster

Sam McAlister, former BBC Newsnight producer who secured the ground-breaking Prince Andrew interview, offers this advice: "It's easy to become super nervous and anxious about speaking in public, but the best thing to remember is that it's just words and, as my Mum would say, 'no babies are dead' if it goes wrong. Just try and enjoy it and don't sweat stumbles because audiences love authenticity!"

Philip Collins, Tony Blair's former chief speechwriter and founder of The Draft, emphasises clarity of purpose: "If there is one thing I would urge you to understand, it is to understand what the one thing is you want to say. If you cannot tell me, in a sentence, what you are trying to say, then you do not know and if you do not know, you are not ready to start."

Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, focuses on physical presence and energy management: "Come out calm. Stand in a posture that you're comfortable with. Breathe deeply so you have enough breath for your words. And smile at the audience before you start speaking - they shouldn't be your enemies otherwise there's been a mistake with who they've asked to speak. You might have butterflies, but try to channel that energy into doing a good job."

Deborah Meaden, investor and entrepreneur and star of Dragons' Den, emphasises the conversational approach: "Approach any talk as you would a conversation…reading audience signals and staying tuned into their response, that way they will stay engaged and open for communication. Avoid using industry jargon which assumes everybody is in the know, risking some feeling left behind and disengaged. Always remember People respond to people, and can recoil from being spoken 'at' rather than 'to'."

William Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford and former Foreign Secretary, highlights the critical importance of opening moments: "The first thirty seconds of a speech are usually the most important, as it is in roughly that time that your audience will decide how attentively to listen to you. In those seconds, you need to look confident, stand squarely, look them in the eye, and if at all possible, say something interesting and memorable. After that, it can be too late."

The Six-Step Formula for Speaking Success

1. Practice with an Audience

"It's difficult to get a sense of how speaking to an audience will truly feel before you're actually standing in front of one," explains JLA's team. The agency recommends delivering your talk to friends, family, or colleagues to simulate the public speaking experience in a controlled environment. This approach allows speakers to familiarise themselves with having an audience watching and reacting to their words whilst creating space for valuable feedback.

2. Self-Tape for Objective Review

Filming yourself allows you to view both delivery and content through a critical lens. Many speakers discover unconscious habits - repetitive hand gestures, excessive blinking, or making the same point multiple times without realising it. JLA's speakers often request copies of event footage to review their performance objectively and fine-tune their approach for future presentations.

3. Develop Pre-Event Rituals

Working with the world's biggest names has given JLA unique insight into pre-event preparation. Some speakers engage in conversation to warm up their words, whilst others require complete silence and space to focus. The key takeaway is prioritising what works best for you when preparing for your talk, ensuring you feel as comfortable and prepared as possible.

4. Rehearse Your Speech Bit by Bit

For structured speeches with specific bullet points, physically rehearsing your talk on stage proves invaluable. One world cup winner frequently booked by JLA runs through their speech action-by-action on stage ahead of their slot, with each movement choreographed to match specific parts of their talk. This technique helps with memorisation whilst granting greater control over presentation delivery.

5. Arrive Early and Understand the Space

Establishing familiarity with your speaking environment is an underestimated preparation technique. Beyond a standard tech check, connecting with your technical team helps address concerns over potential complications. Understanding room dynamics - audience proximity, seating arrangements, stage setup - allows speakers to tailor their approach accordingly.

6. Be Yourself, Don't Read Verbatim

"Be yourself" might sound clichéd, but authenticity proves crucial for successful presentations. As JLA notes, "Our clients book our speakers for who they are, not for who they're pretending to be." Rather than reading a pre-written speech word-for-word - a skill that takes politicians and TV anchors years to master - speakers achieve better results using broad talking points on cue cards or slide presentations as prompts.

Building Confidence Through Professional Technique

For many professionals, public speaking represents a significant career milestone - from presenting quarterly results to delivering keynote addresses at industry conferences. Yet the fear of public speaking can hold back even the most accomplished individuals from seizing these opportunities.

By implementing these six professional steps, speakers can transform anxiety into applause, building the confidence needed to connect authentically with their audiences whilst delivering memorable, impactful content.

About the Contributors

The insights in this guide come from five distinguished JLA Speakers:

• Sam McAlister: Former BBC Newsnight producer, author of Scoops, and executive producer of the Netflix film Scoop
• Philip Collins: Former chief speechwriter to PM Tony Blair, founder of The Draft, and author of communication guides including When They Go Low, We Go High
• Alex Mahon: Outgoing CEO of Channel 4, the first female chief executive of a major UK broadcaster
• Deborah Meaden: The longest-serving 'Dragon' on the BBC's Dragons' Den, Deborah has heard hundreds of entrepreneurs pitching their ideas and products in the most pressurised environment. She's also a noted public speaker, addressing lessons in business growth, brand and leadership, as well as responsible business.
• William Hague: Chancellor of the University of Oxford, former Foreign Secretary and Leader of the Conservative Party. William is noted as one of the leading public speakers in the country. He was often praised for his performances at Prime Minister's Questions and has been described by Hillary Clinton as "the David Beckham of toasting". He continues to speak all over the world to business, academic and government audiences addressing issues of leadership, strategy and geopolitics.

About JLA Speakers

Founded in London, JLA Speakers represents leading keynote speakers, thought leaders and industry experts across diverse sectors. The bureau specialises in matching innovative speaker formats with client objectives to ensure measurable impact from corporate events.